PA Attorney General Warns Of Super Bowl Scammers

HARRISBURG, PA — With a Pennsylvania team about to play in the year's biggest sporting event, state Attorney General Dave Sunday is warning people to be aware of tickets and merchandise-related scams before Super Bowl LIX.

“While Eagles fans are excited and gearing up for the big game, scammers are hoping to take advantage of eager consumers,” Sunday said in a news release. “Be sure to protect yourself from ticket scams and credit card fraud if you are heading to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.”

Attorney General Sunday and the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection have released a series of tips for fans buying Super Bowl tickets, trip packages or Super Bowl merchandise.

Sunday advises not to click on banner ads or pop-ups on a legitimate website, such as StubHub or Ticketmaster, that may take you to a third-party website. Consumers lose all protections and guarantees after leaving a legitimate website for another one offering discounted tickets or other promises.

If you do purchase tickets through a website, review your cart for fees that some online ticket resale platforms might charge at checkout, Sunday said.

The attorney general also suggests being careful when using search engines to find potential ticket sells. Some websites offering ticket sales will ramp up advertising before events such as the Super Bowl to increase their traffic.

Also, stick to familiar websites and read the URL of websites you visit. In a practice known as spoofing, scammers often make minor changes to an actual website's URL to bring a false sense of legitimacy to the website. Tip-offs to fake websites are spelling or grammatical errors.

Sunday said to avoid buying tickets from a seller you don't know and conduct any ticket purchase in a safe, well-lit area. People also can search online for safe transaction locations.

Consumers should use credit cards when possible when making payments, and they should be wary of sellers asking for payment in gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency or wire transfers. If you do make an unfulfilled purchase with a credit card, contact the credit card company immediately to dispute the charge.

Sunday said to be wary of companies offering travel packages that promise airfare, accommodations and tickets at extremely low prices.

State residents who believe they have been the victims of a Super Bowl ticket, travel service or merchandise scam can file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of
Consumer Protection by visiting www.attorneygeneral.gov, by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov or calling 800-441-2555.